Menstrual Health & Stem Cell Health: Is There A Connection?
Did you know, menstrual blood used to be thought of as "waste?"
Today, scientists view it very differently — menstrual blood actually contains a renewable source of adult stem cells called menstrual blood-derived stem cells, or MenSCs. That could be a game-changer in regenerative medicine. But here's the question: if your period contains these powerful stem cells, does your menstrual health affect how they work? Let's dive in.
What are menstrual blood-derived stem cells?
MenSCs are special cells that are shed from your uterine lining each month during your period. Think of them as your body's natural repair crew that you've been throwing away every month, unlike other stem cells that require unethical procedures to collect, which can be collected painlessly from something your body already does. What makes them special is their ability to turn into different types of cells.
Scientists first began studying them in the mid-2000s. They discovered that they exhibit all the classic stem cell behaviors: they can self-replicate, multiply rapidly, and differentiate into various cell types, such as bone, fat, cartilage, and even (in lab settings) neuron-like or cardiac-like cells. This is particularly exciting, as menstrual blood collection is non-invasive and repeatable — no needles, no surgery, just your regular cycle. Plus, you can collect them month after month, meaning MenSCs are not only great for research but could potentially be used to treat your own body with your own cells down the line.
Why researchers are excited
Early research shows that MenSCs can reduce inflammation, promote the growth of new blood vessels, and release molecules that kickstart tissue repair. In animal studies, they've shown promise in treating everything from spinal cord injuries to liver disease to fertility problems. We're even starting small human trials, and so far, using someone's own menstrual stem cells in phase II clinical trials has demonstrated safety — though we're still in the early days and need more studies to know how well they actually work. But the potential? It's huge.
MenSCs have also demonstrated the ability to fly under the radar of your immune system–they are less likely to trigger an immune response that can cause your body to reject foreign cells. Meaning, MenSCs could be used not just for yourself but also as donor cells to treat others. Not to mention, early studies suggest MenSCs might help with conditions like type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's, acute lung injury, and fertility. Furthermore, stem cells from people with certain diseases, such as endometriosis, vary from healthy stem cells. That means analyzing someone's menstrual stem cells could one day help catch diseases earlier.
In fact, recent studies have shown that some diagnostic tests you’d typically do with systemic (venous) blood, such as HbA1c and hormone panel, line up with results from menstrual blood when using specially designed collection devices. So basically, your period could become a pain-free way to detect health issues early and keep track of what’s happening in your body over time.
Why your menstrual health matters
Your uterine lining isn't static — it's constantly going through cycles of growing, changing, and shedding, all orchestrated by your hormones. The stem cells in this lining are what enable your monthly regeneration. So it makes sense: if something's affecting your uterine lining or throwing off your cycle, it's probably also affecting the stem cells that come from it — how many there are, what they look like, and how well they work.
Here's how your menstrual health can impact these stem cells:
Cell population shifts: Conditions that alter endometrial cellular composition (for example, chronic inflammation or fibrotic changes) could alter the relative numbers or types of progenitor cells shed.
Microenvironmental signals: Hormonal imbalances, oxidative stress, or altered cytokine profiles (standard in conditions like PCOS or endometriosis) can change and influence how stem cells behave — their proliferation rate, differentiation capacity, and secretory profile.
Epigenetic or mitochondrial changes: Emerging studies suggest metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction (reported in some reproductive disorders) could impact stem cell fitness and therapeutic function.
So while MenSCs can be collected every month, that doesn't mean they're all created equal. The quality and characteristics can differ from person to person, and even from cycle to cycle in the same person.
What this means for banking or donating menstrual stem cells
If you’re thinking about donating or banking your menstrual stem cells, whether for yourself down the road or to donate, here’s what you should know based on what we currently understand:
Timing and protocol matter: how you collect matters. Using proper collection kits and following the timing guidelines can make a big difference in the number of usable cells you get. Most programs suggest collecting on your heaviest flow days and keeping everything sterile.
Health disclosure is essential: When donors provide cord blood and other biological samples, they typically answer questions about their current conditions and medical history. While some menstrual disorders do not prevent collection, they may be relevant for future use or for characterizing the stored cells.
Autologous vs allogeneic use: If you plan to bank for your own future use (autologous), donor-specific changes become less critical for immune compatibility but still matter for therapeutic potency. However, if you plan to use cells for broader allogeneic applications, consistent donor selection and screening become critical.
The importance of quality control: Look for providers who are transparent about how they process, test, and store the cells. If these stem cells are ever going to make it from the lab to actual treatments, the process needs to be consistent and carefully monitored for safety.
It’s not a guarantee: Though promising, MSC-based therapies are still experimental for many indications. Banking is an option to preserve your cells for potentially valuable autologous resources for the future. However, it’s not a substitute for established medical care or an assurance of future cures.
Research gaps and where the field is headed
We still have big questions to answer: we need large-scale studies comparing stem cells from people with varying menstrual health, reliable tests to figure out which cells will be most effective in treatment, and rigorous human trials. For treatments, there's more research needed to demonstrate that MenSCs can effectively treat various diseases. For example, while their role in treating endometriosis is emerging, longer studies are required to confirm that the treatment is safe and effective in the long term.
Given that MenSCs are directly linked to endometrial tissue, they are especially promising for treating reproductive health issues such as endometriosis, Asherman’s syndrome (uterine adhesions), and early menopause. Scientists are creating menstrual blood banks to refine how they collect and isolate these cells and launching trials for everything from fertility issues to other diseases. Things are moving forward at a promising pace, just with realistic expectations.
The bottom line
As time passes, research on menstrual blood for stem cell research is becoming increasingly popular because it offers something unique—an ethical way to collect cells and molecules for testing. It's easily accessible and allows women to collect samples themselves without any medical procedures. For centuries, women's biology has been an afterthought. Historically, most medical trials were conducted on men, and female biology was treated as inconvenienced rather than something worth studying.
If scientists can develop reliable tests using menstrual fluid, it could open doors to female biology–specific medical innovation. From hormone-based treatments to personalized reproductive health insights. In other words, it's about moving women from the footnotes of medical research to the front and center — where honestly, we should've been all along.
The truth is, menstrual health and stem cell health go hand in hand. Take care of one, and you're probably helping the other. The deeper scientists look into this stuff, the more remarkable the menstrual cycle turns out to be — it's basically one of the body's most powerful built-in repair systems.
There is also potential for personalized health protocols from your menstrual biology. Since menstrual blood can tell us so much about hormonal balance, immune function, and cellular health, scientists could use it to see your body's ability to heal and regenerate itself. Down the line, analyzing stem cells from your period might help create custom nutrition plans, recovery strategies, or treatments based on what your body actually needs right now.
Instead of everyone getting the same generic advice, we'd move toward truly personalized medicine — where your own cycle becomes part of your healthcare roadmap. And if we can figure out how to use this the right way, it could transform everything from treating diseases to slowing aging to finally giving women's health the awareness it deserves.
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4904135/
https://jbioleng.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1754-1611-8-20
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10192867/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41419-018-0847-8
